PCMCIA

1/15/2000

PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). Originally a standard for plug in memory cards for portable computers. In 1991 it was expanded into an I/O bus using the same 68 pin connector used by PCMCIA memory. Technically, the cards are "PC Cards", and PCMCIA is the organization that specifies PC Cards. But the cards are universally referred to as "PCMCIA cards". PCMCIA Socket Services and card services specifications were later added. Recent extensions include CardBus and Zoomed Video for faster devices and Small Card and Minature Card for smaller devices such as mobile phones.

PCMCIA memory cards (16 bits) have a maximum transfer rate of about 20 mbytes per second over a 16 bit interface. I/O maximum transfer rates are 7.84 mbytes/sec. Actual rates are slower of course. CardBus has a maximum burst rate of 132MByte/sec when transferring 32 bit data.

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